POLOKWANE – The selling of the remaining extent of erf 608, which forms an L-shape around the high court, was again discussed before council during the last Polokwane Municipality council meeting.
The department of public works wishes to purchase the erf in terms of its location and accessibility to the high court. The parking bays provided for on erf 581 for parking at the court are only 270 and a total of 402 parking bays are required in terms of town planning regulations, providing for four parking spaces per 100m² assignable area and one parking bay per eight seats for the court.
The need exists thus to acquire additional land for parking. The 5 710m² erf would be used for parking on approximately 3 960m² and the remainder would be used for the on or off loading of people awaiting trial to and from the high court.
Council approved the selling of the remaining extent of erf 608 on February 25, 2010, and the department of public works wanted to finalise all works on the land before March 31 this year, but the two parties still have to finalise the terms of the sale, as the price at which the land was valued by a valuer appointed by the department was not nearly acceptable to the municipality.
It was then offered by the department that, should the municipality not accept the R4,3 million offered, the shortfall be compensated with a land exchange agreement of commensurate value.
The municipality said the fair land value was R6,8 million for the land and council accepted that R4,3 million be accepted as part payment for the land and a property to the value of R2,52 million be transferred to the municipality to cover the shortfall emanating from the purchase of the land. The department should appoint a valuer to determine the market price of the property to be exchanged.
